Most people with a pulse, and countless members of the zombie community, have a deep abiding love for music. Regardless of personal tastes- you prefer wasting away in Margaritaville while your neighbor enjoys spending time with his girlfriend in a coma– the smile your favorite song brings to your face is a common ground for music fans worldwide.

Whether people (or the undead) express this allegiance to all things musical by laying down some tasty licks on the nearest guitar or by raising the roof every time their favorite jam comes on- it is a passion that can unite the furthest walks of humanity. Musicians, audiophiles and even the casual listener can now practice their favorite hobby sans green guilt because the music world is slowly but surely evolving to be one with an abundance of eco-friendly options.

ME224 Bambusa Electric Guitar by First Act

Instruments: Getting your jam sesh on may come at the price of angering your mom while the sounds of your latest hit single pour out of her basement, but it no longer has to come at the risk of offending your other mother- Mother Nature. Moving out or getting a practice space may “cram” your style, but with all that money you are saving on rent you can probably afford these sweet instruments that aren’t only fashionable, but are environmentally friendly. The Bambusa Electric Guitar and DW Drums Eco-X Kit Kick Drum each are made from sustainable materials. If these dreamboats of the instrumental world are a little beyond your budget, try buying used instruments at a local music store. Go on now, the basement is calling- ‘Free Bird’ is not going to learn itself.

Recording Studios: Once those masterpieces are practiced enough that they are nearly perfect, it is time for you to record them. This is called “laying down a track” in the music biz. Trust me, I saw the “We Are The World” music video numerous times as a child, so I would know.

Grace Recording Studios in Maui, Hawaii. features photovoltaic solar panels that allows it to generate 100 percent of its own electricity- now that is a spicy recording meatball!

If you are an eco-minded musician or just a generous soul who has a passion for music and green businesses do I have the perfect investment opportunity for you! Will Benoit, a New England based musician and recording engineer, is attempting to buildthe first solar-powered, green recording studio in New England. He is raising money on the site kickstarter.com and is offering studio time with donations of 50 dollars or more (time is reflective donation amounts). This ambitious project that will surely benefit local musicians as well as the environment is currently roughly short 11,000 dollars of its funding goals with only fifty three days left to their deadline. There are not an abundance of eco-friendly recording studios in the world, so help this broski (not my literal brother) out if you can.

Concerts: Nothing is quite like the experience of a hearing live music in concert, I mean, you can not really say you have enjoyed John Tesh until you have heard the man tickle the ivory live; am I right, or am I right? While concerts may not inherently be green-with the huge gas guzzling buses and sea of garbage they can create-some music festivals are doing their best to make sure that their impact on mother earth is minimal.

Coachella, California’s three day music festival which features some of the most talented bands in the country, has embraced eco-friendly habits. Their website now hosts a feature appropriately named“carpoolchella” that allows you to organize car shares. As if this feature were not cool enough on its own, carpools of four or more people are eligible for an array of neat prizes. I can dig it. Coachella is also reducing the use of bottled water and increasing recycling efforts.Warped Tour has launched a unique eco initiative, which focuses on lessening their tour’s negative environmental impact by focusing on recycling, increasing usage of bio-diesel and the education of bands and concert goers alike about eco-friendly living. You can keep tabs on their efforts and even find volunteer opportunities on their blog.

Listening Devices: If you are a spy, I am sorry for the misleading title. This section is not for espionage and the like, but rather about the devices that make listening to music a breeze. These lovely and eco-friendly headphones from Thinksound will make your mp3 listening not only a pleasurable one, but a guilt free one too. Made from recyclable materials; they come in an equally eco-friendly, recycled, bleach free case. Frontgate offers a wireless, solar-powered speaker that you can connect to your tv, stereo or mp3 player for soothing wireless tunes in an outdoor environment.

Again, you eco-friendly fans on a budget can purchase used goods. Musicians may want to check out used equipment, such as amps and microphones, at your local music store. In no time at all you will be on your way to writing your first legendary album. May I suggest the title, “Jams for your Stam…ina! Put These Tasty Licks in Your Pipe and Smoke Them: The Legend of Zeus”, no? Ok, your loss!

Metal heads, Hip Hoppers, Doo-wop enthusiasts and Polka fans may never agree on what defines the perfect song, but all music fans can agree that grooving out to music that is created, performed and listened to in an eco-friendly manner somehow sounds sweeter.